More than 3,000 invited domestic and international guests are expected to be in attendance as the Da Nang Startup and Innovation Festival (SURF) 2023 will take place at the Duy Tan University on September 29. This event will play an important role in creating a strong innovative startup ecosystem in Da Nang.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung (third, right), Vice Chairwoman of the Da Nang People’s Committee Ngo Thi Kim Yen (fourth, right), and Director of the municipal Department of Science and Technology Le Duc Vien (second, right) visited a booth at SURF 2022. Photo: A.P

The innovative startup ecosystem in the city has gradually developed with diverse members in order to support each other. The innovative startup community is constantly increasing in both quantity and quality, in which, a number of innovative startups are hi-tech businesses, and stay up to date with technology trends, especially in the fields of information technology, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, and others, thereby attracting capital from domestic and international investment funds.

Since 2020, the city has issued policies to promote the development of the innovative startup ecosystem. The focus has been paid on supporting business incubators to implement incubation and acceleration programmes with a budget of VND 850 million from the national budget in order to allow the city to operate 6-8 incubation and acceleration programs per year. With the support from these programmes, 163 innovative start-ups have commercialized their products, and more than 60 innovative start-up businesses have been established. Some of them have thrived and raised millions of dollars in their capital, including Datbike, Selly, Hekate, EM and AI, VOOC.

Special attention have been paid to organizing important events to create a strong innovative startup ecosystem. A highlight of these events is SURF. Through organizing its seven editions from 2016 to 2022, SURF has provided the opportunity for local startups to accumulate knowledge and connect to the right resources at the right time, set up a business collaboration, promote their products, and reach out to their customers. Initiated in 2016 by the city, SURF has seen the participation of thousands of people through its seven editions held in the city. The SURF events have featured a combined total of more than 180 virtual booths and over 500 in-person booths to promote products and services of startup businesses to serve about 25,000 visitors from 30 countries around the world.

SURF 2023, themed ‘Han River Desire - Unleashing Creativity’ in order to convey the message ‘Da Nang - City of Innovation’ is expected to open up a world of opportunity for high potential startups to connect with investors and get funding for their projects, as well as provide the opportunity for the city to organize scientific seminars, and organize and run a policy dialogue and propose innovative ideas.

This year’s event will feature more than 80 in-person  booths and around 100 virtual booths to introduce startup projects. During the event, an innovation startup competition will take place in the city with the participation of more than 30 potential startup entries. Participating startup projects will be displayed and introduced in exhibitions in order to help their developers connect with investors and get funding for their projects.

The event is also expected to bring together experienced experts to offer expert advice, solutions, and experience to set up a business at home and abroad to the city’s startups. To mark this occasion, the Da Nang - Seoul Innovation Space will be launched by the municipal Department of Science and Technology in a bid to help members of the city's startup ecosystem connect with their partners in Seoul, South Korea.

According to Mr. Nguyen Viet Toan, the Director of the Da Nang Innovation and Startup Support Center, SURF has been successfully organized in the city through its seven editions, thereby contributing to promoting the building of a successful startup ecosystem in the city. SURF is not only an annual event but also provides the opportunity of sharing and connection between members of the city’s startup ecosystem, as well as ensures a favourable environment for local startups in efforts to help them connect with investors and get funding for their projects, thereby building a strong startup community. SURF 2023 is expected to open up new opportunities for the city’s startup community and help Da Nang develop it into an innovative startup city.

Reporting by QUYNH THI – Translating by H.L